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Following attacks from Ed Markey's Senate campaign and supporting groups, Republican Gabriel Gomez's team strikes back

Gomez & Markey June 2013

This panel of May 2013 photos shows Republican Gabriel Gomez, left, and Democrat U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, candidates for U.S. Senate in the June 24, 2013 special election, being held to fill the seat vacated when John Kerry was appointed as secretary of state. (AP Photos)

Following the release of several attack ads and press releases from Democrat Ed Markey's U.S. Senate campaign and various other groups supporting his candidacy in Massachusetts, Republican Gabriel Gomez's campaign is striking back.

In the video, a reporter asks Markey about his approximately 20 percent federal tax rate, and whether he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary or anyone below him in his office.

In Markey's somewhat hesitant response, he defends his relatively low tax rate saying that he thinks he's paid his "fair share under the law" but "if there was a debate to increase the alternative minimum tax I would certainly very seriously consider raising it if it was necessary."

An analysis of both Markey and Gomez's income tax returns by The Republican/MassLive.com's Shira Schoenberg revealed that Markey has an average effective tax rate of 19.18 percent over the past eight years while Gomez's rate was slightly higher at 21.02 percent over a six year period, although he earned significantly more than Markey.

The discrepancy between the amount of years used to compare the two tax rates was due to Markey releasing income tax returns from 2005-2012 while Gomez only released years 2006-2011.

The web video's concluding text takes aim at Markey's tenure, saying "36 years to reform the tax code and make it fair. Isn't 36 years enough?"

The video comes in response to a TV ad and radio ad released by the Markey campaign hitting Gomez for his stance on women's issues, his work in the private sector and a tax deduction he took in 2005.